*Official* England in West Indies

[ozone]

But is this pitch ridiculously flat to the extent we saw in Karachi?

It's not inconceivable that the Windies could have had England out for 300-350 in the first innings - the bowlers created enough chances.

England's current bowling attack is pretty poor as well, so again it boils down to whether it's just a pitch offering nothing for the bowlers, or bowlers bowling badly on a pitch that offers them a little something.

Combination TBH. Both sides have a couple of decent bowlers, but also have a couple who aren't good enough/fit. That said, the pitch is still too flat to be a good test wicket, and had the West Indies been one down in the series rather than one up, I doubt this type of pitch would have been prepared.

 

[shivfan]

You'd not be surprised if they did that if it's possible (it'd only be sensible really), but if the soil is result-pitch soil there's sod-all anyone'll be doing about it.

And from an England (and I presume neutral) POV you do hope severely that it's a result pitch at QPO. Apparently the last 8 Tests there have had results or summat.

Exactly!

It's not like the Caribbean groundsman can really do anything much to change this pitch....

The QPO pitch will be the same it's been for the past five or so years. A difficult pitch to score runs on, but also difficult to take wickets. A real attritional pitch, that will probably start deteriorating on Day Four.

 

[Neil Pickup]

But is this pitch ridiculously flat to the extent we saw in Karachi?

It's not inconceivable that the Windies could have had England out for 300-350 in the first innings - the bowlers created enough chances.

England's current bowling attack is pretty poor as well, so again it boils down to whether it's just a pitch offering nothing for the bowlers, or bowlers bowling badly on a pitch that offers them a little something.

Presently it is bowlers bowling badly on a pitch offering nothing.

 

[sammy2]

Im sure viv was asking for pitches with bounce.

 

[Jamee999]

Gayle to declare with Sarwan on 400*, imo

 

[Lillian Thomson]

You should all have watched the Carling Cup Final instead. Sod all happened but everyone was put out of their misery inside two and three-quarter hours.

 

[Richard]

Gayle to declare with Sarwan on 400*, imo

He bloody well best had do if given the chance.

Anyway, I see he who can't bowl as well as me is bowling now, having been on Carling Cup watch for the last 20 minutes.

 

[Uppercut]

I hope Sarwan doesn't get to 400, because then people might remember the game for something other than the turd it's been.

 

[0RI0N]

Gayle to declare with Sarwan on 400*, imo

/
lol,u reckon they wont try to put one over the greatest batsman of the last 20yrs and declare at 401*?

 

[wpdavid]

Another half-hour or so of this and the only team in danger of losing this match will be England.

We're now at that stage, aren't we? We're knackered and don't look as if we could buy a wicket, never mind 5 of them. And despite what we've seen over the last 48 hours, batting after 2 days in the field against Edwards & Taylor charging in with absolutely nothing to lose won't be easy.

 

[sammy2]

No one was complaining when eng got lucky to reach their total. No one here expectex WI to reply so strongly which is obviously making some babies cry. The fact is, eng doesn't have a better team.

 

[Scaly piscine]

No one was complaining when eng got lucky to reach their total. No one here expectex WI to reply so strongly which is obviously making some babies cry. The fact is, eng doesn't have a better team.

Well we won't know til there are some games played on a Test standard pitch.

 

[Manee]

I have been hearing complaints here and there about the pitch but the bowling really is not too good on either side. For West Indies, Taylor and Edwards both bowled well but Benn did not look up to scratch and Powell never does - the key with them was dropped catches which if taken could have had the innings end much sooner. With England, Anderson and Swann have bowled well and recieved solid figures each (considering they have not bowled purely at the top order) but lack support from Broad and Sidebottom. Sidebottom is clearly not fit and Broad appears to be bowling at a similar standard. I really dislike Broad's attempt at an inswinger recieving such praise from commentators ("oh, he's trying new things" "he's learning", etc.) which glosses over his sub-par performance and performances over his Test career. Heck, the fact that he learns and is not afraid to try new things is more reason for him to go to County Cricket, go to the nets, and hone these skills which are not ready. I am convinced that he is a future fast bowling talent but not one for right now, unless he makes a significant improvement, which I do not rule out but think it is unreasonable to wait for.

 

[pskov]

England should do what South Africa did on their last tour to the Caribbean and bowl all 11 players in an innings. Maybe Ambrose will take a wicket like Boucher did.

 

[Richard]

We're now at that stage, aren't we? We're knackered and don't look as if we could buy a wicket, never mind 5 of them. And despite what we've seen over the last 48 hours, batting after 2 days in the field against Edwards & Taylor charging in with absolutely nothing to lose won't be easy.

Well it won't be 2 days TBF, but yeah, now was about the time I was referring to in that post.

I reckon the best thing for England is for Sarwan to stay in long enough for everyone to start thinking about him getting 401. Because as long as that's possible, you imagine WI will keep batting.

If he's out in the next hour or so, I'd say WI would be very unwise indeed not to declare there and then, or at the very least send their remaining batsmen in with instructions to just swing at everything. They'd have precisely nothing to lose, and would have an outside chance of gaining a series.

Anyway, hopefully now time for the third new-ball - yes it is. Always gets me a little bit excited in a statistical way. And there's a blatant chuck from Pietersen too.

 

[sammy2]

Well we won't know til there are some games played on a Test standard pitch.

Eng doesn't need to do well for a pitch to become test standard.

 

[0RI0N]

Imagine younis khan did break Lara's record n end on 401*.a week later sarwan breaks younis's record n ends on 402*.
Thatd be an awkward phone call from younis to sarwan

 

[Richard]

I really dislike Broad's attempt at an inswinger recieving such praise from commentators ("oh, he's trying new things" "he's learning", etc.) which glosses over his sub-par performance and performances over his Test career. Heck, the fact that he learns and is not afraid to try new things is more reason for him to go to County Cricket, go to the nets, and hone these skills which are not ready. I am convinced that he is a future fast bowling talent but not one for right now, unless he makes a significant improvement, which I do not rule out but think it is unreasonable to wait for.

To wait in Tests for, certainly.

And yes, the place to try new things is the nets and the Academy. Take a leaf from Darren Gough's book. After seeing Waqar Younis and his reverse-swing in 1992, he practised for about 3 years, finally mastering the art. He never even tried bowling either reverse-swing or those big Yorkers he became famous for in games until he'd mastered them well-and-truly in the nets.

Shame some others can't realise this.

 

[Richard]

Imagine younis khan did break Lara's record n end on 401*.a week later sarwan breaks younis's record n ends on 402*.
Thatd be an awkward phone call from younis to sarwan

Fortunately he didn't. But anyway, it was only 5 months or so between Hayden 380 and Lara 400.

 

[Richard]

One hundred for Denesh Ramdin. Maiden century in his 33rd Test.